1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a punching tool storing and interchanging system which stores a multiplicity of punching tools and interchanges a predetermined punching tool among the stored multiple punching tools with a punching tool which is held by a punching tool holding member in a punch press.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional punching tool storing and interchanging system will be briefly described below with containing the description concerning an operation thereof.
An operating area is provided near a turret (an embodiment of the punching tool holding member) in the punch press and a punching tool storing magazine for storing a multiplicity of punching tool is fixedly provided in the operating area. A punching tool interchanging apparatus is provided between the turret in the punch press and the punching tool storing magazine, and this punching tool interchanging apparatus is structured such as to interchange a predetermined punching tool among the multiplicity of punching tools stored in the punching tool storing magazine with the punching tool held by the turret.
In this structure, the punching tool storing magazine is fixedly provided in the operating area so that a number of the punching tool and a number of kinds of the punching tool capable of being stored in one punching tool storing magazine are limited. Particularly, in the case that a set of punching tools comprising an upper punching tool (a punch) and a lower punching tool (a die) is stored, it is necessary to prepare (storage) the same kind of punching tool sets each of which has a different clearance between the upper punching tool and the lower punching tool to each other in correspondence to a thickness of a sheet metal enough a number of the different thickness so that the number of the kinds of the punching tool sets (the punching tools) capable of being stored in one punching tool storing magazine is further reduced. Accordingly, there is a problem that it is difficult to automatically perform a various kinds of punching processes with respect to the sheet metal.